Brisbane’s Best Burgers 2020
With Brisbane’s burger scene becoming bigger than ever, I set out (with the eager help of my teenage daughter), to bring you what we consider to be Brisbane’s Best Burgers! With so many venues opening up, I’m making it my mission to update this post to keep everything as current as possible!
Brooklyn Depot Southbank
When it comes to Brisbane’s best burger joints, Brooklyn Depot is up there with the best! Set in a prime location in the beautiful Southbank, Brooklyn Depot has that real holiday laid-back vibe, and serves up some pretty impressive handcrafted burgers and sides. Definitely a winner!
The Burgers
They have a HUGE selection of burgers to choose from, ranging in price from $10 (specials) to $23 for one of the massive epic burgers. We went with the Brooklyn Classic which ticked all the boxes for me – a juicy tender grass fed beef patty, American cheese, oak leaf lettuce, tomato, Depot special sauce.
Some other burgers that sounded amazing were – Flip the Bird – Pulled BBQ Chicken, hickory smoked bacon, Depot Slaw, guacamole & BBQ sauce Notorious P.I.G– slow cooked pork shoulder with BBQ sauce, classic green apple slaw & truffle mayo Chicky Babe– crispy buttermilk chicken thigh fillet, Depot slaw, chilli relish.
They also have a few EPIC Burgers including: Down Town – Two beef patties, two American cheese, hickory smoked bacon, cheese & gravy fries & BBQ sauce, Cookout -Slow Cooked Beef Brisket, pulled beef ribs, mozzarella stick, Depot slaw, pickles, sriracha mayo & BBQ sauce.
Other Tasty Options
Brooklyn Depot also serves up some a great selection of Hot Dawgs, Pork Belly nuggets, Beef Chilli Bowl, Beef Nachos, Mozzarella Sticks, just to name a few.
The Fries
The fries are served in one of those cute little baskets, which I think is a fab idea for 2 main reasons. 1. They stay crunchy, as they don’t mix with the juices from the burger if served on the plate, and 2. you can always find a sneaky last one hiding at the bottom of the basket (ha, you can see I take my chip eating seriously!). The fries scored highly with a nice crunch and soft centre and very very moreish! *Disclaimer – I did however remove the fries to the plate for this shot!
Other Info
Special Diets: Vegetarian options.
Licensed: Yes
Location: 168 Grey Street, South Brisbane
Desserts: Yes! and they all sounded amazing. Delicious homemade treats including New York Cheesecake, Apple Pie, Cookie & Cream Cheesecake
Drinks: They are fully licensed serving beer, wine and cocktails but highly recommend trying one of their milkshakes. My daughter enjoyed the Bounty Hunter ($10) – coconut syrup, ice-cream milk, Hershey’s chocolate sauce, plus you can add Malibu for an extra $4
***SPECIALS
Brooklyn Depot has some super specials –
**$10 Burgers ‘n’ $5 Beers – Monday to Wednesday – 11-3
**$20 Pork Ribs – available all day Tuesdays
**Wings Wednesday – $13 for 1/2 kilo & $25 for 1 kg
So you can see they’ve got your week pretty much covered!!
The Vibe
I really love the atmosphere at Brooklyn Depot. We visited during the day and it was so airy and spacious, with comfy seats and massive booths. I honestly felt like I was on holiday. The staff are quick, professional and super attentive.
The Verdict
Brooklyn Depot would definitely be one of my top choices for best burger joints in Brisbane.
Highly recommend!!!
Grill’d
Grill’d has been one of my favourites since moving up to Brissie. But it’s not just the taste of the burger that is appealing. Grill’d boasts all natural locally sourced ingredients “no cages”, “no nasties” and “no added hormones”.
As well as their delicious tasting burgers, Grill’d has a fantastic scheme which supports local charities – “Local Matters”. Every month three different local charities are chosen to and their names displayed on jars. Every burger sold comes with a token. You simply choose which charity you wish to support and pop your token into the corresponding jar. At the end of the month, Grill’d then adds up the tokens and donates $500 across the charities, the one with the greatest number receiving $300 and $100 each to the remaining charities. Now let’s get to the food!
The Burger
Although Grill’d offers many options, I always gravitate to the Simply Grill’d. A substantial burger juicy and flavoursome, made with grass-fed lean beef, fresh salad, relish and herb mayo. There are several bun choices – panini (which is made from a light sourdough), traditional, gluten free and low carb.
Their current menu includes: The Mighty – grass fed lean beef plus bacon, cheese, salad, Summer Sunset – grass fed lean beef, bacon, charred pineapple, salad and avocado, Crispy Bacon & Cheese – grass fed lean beef plus bacon & cheese, Chilli Addict – grass fed lean beef, jalepeños, roasted pepper, sour cream, cheese, Spanish onion chilli relish (OMG why do I stick to the classic – this sounds incredible!), Nourish & Flourish – grass fed lean beef, carrot, mustard, pickle, lettuce, avocado. Grill’d also boasts a huge variety of chicken, lamb, beef brisket, wagyu and veggie burgers.
The Chips
Grill’d’s chips are thick cut with a sprinkling of their own signature herb mix ($5.50).
The Vibe
Grill’d is ALWAYS busy – love the buzz, the atmosphere and the high turnover ensuring total fresh burgers every time.
Other Info
Special Diets: Grill’d serves up a special plant-based burger – The Beyond Burger which is free from soy, gluten & GMO’s.
Licensed: Yes
Location: Grill’d has locations all throughout Queensland. We visited the Southbank restaurant @ 167 Grey Street, South Brisbane
The Verdict
Grill’d is a great place to eat in or take away. The staff are friendly, food is always fresh and always leave feeling satisfied.
Betty’s Burgers
There are burgers, and then there are Betty’s Burgers! With its flagship store in Hastings Street Noosa, Betty’s Burgers are now popping up everywhere. And luckily for us quite a few of those are right here in Brissie. Betty’s prides itself on serving the freshest, juiciest, mouthwatering burgers and I certainly agree with that.
The Burgers
You can’t go wrong with a Betty’s Classic, a steal at only $10! Think juicy tender Angus beef patties nestled fresh milk buns, with fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and a special sauce. You’d be hard pressed not to find something to like, I mean love at Betty’s. Their current menu includes: Flathead Fish Burger • Pork Belly Burger • Crispy Chicken Burger / Supreme • Mushroom Burger • Bare Betty (bunless) • Betty’s Deluxe • Spicy Chicken • Kid’s Burger
The Fries
Betty’s fries rock! Thin, but not too skinny as to lose that fluffy potato taste. Perfect shoestring packed full of flavour. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside with a light sprinkling of sea salt seasoning – very moorish. The fries are a reasonable $5 and sauces are extra.
The Vibe
Betty’s has a distinct classic 1950’s vibe. And with it instagrammable decor (think orange and turquoise presets), they’ve saved you the job of any post-editing with your photos.
Other Info
Special Diets: Betty’s provides a complete allergy sheet on all of their products. Vegetarian burgers available.
Licensed: Yes
Location: Betty’s have several locations throughout Queensland. We visited the Indooroopilly store @ Level 3, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre.
Desserts: Or Concrete as they are referred to. Betty serves up several delights such as Peanut Butter Brittle, Chocolate Hazelnut donut & Lemon & Raspberry Cheesecake. All desserts are $8 but totally shareable!
The Verdict
Betty’s Burgers score high on my list of best burgers. Great burger, crunchy fries, and welcoming staff. Probably best value burger! A bargain at $10
Jee’s Burgers & Chicken
The Burger
Fried Chicken Wings with Sweet & Spicy Sauce
- Milkshakes – Vanilla, crushed oreo, peanut butter, hershey chocolate, hershey strawberry, hershey salted caramel.
The Fries
Crispy crunchy skin on moreish fries. Serving sizes are huge!
The Vibe
Casual – small area.
The Verdict
Jee’s Burger and Chicken is great on affordability, taste and generous portions. Nothing fancy just good old fashioned burger American style.
Other Info
Special Diets: (V) Vegetarian
Location: 129 Margaret Street, Brisbane, 363 Adelaide Street, Brisbane City
Desserts: No, but have tasty milkshakes!
Fritzenberger
The Burger
The beef patty is 100% grass fed and sourced from the Byron Bay Hinterland. The bun is soft, squishy milk bun which sandwiches the patty just perfectly.
That’s the quality foundation of all of our beef burgers that we then house in a soft, squishy milk bun, which is toasted. The salad is a combination of fresh hydroponic lettuce, vine-ripened tomato and house made pickles.
Their current menu includes: Bacon Burger, Pork Burger, Mushroom Schnitzel Burger and Chicken Burger.
The Fries
You can choose Frites or Loaded Frites ($10) which comprises cheese sauce, candied bacon, green onions, Fritzensauce and Twisties salt.
The Vibe
European pub atmosphere, serving craft beers. Can get really busy – good vibe out overlooking the street.
Other Info
Special Diets: Vegetarian-friendly. (GF)
Licensed: Yes
Desserts – yes Sugar Fritz Cinnamon sugared churro-style frites with a choice of hot nutella, peanut butter or malted salted caramel sauce Ice Cream
3 scoops of vanilla bean, dark chocolate or cookies & cream served with a choice of hot Nutella, peanut butter or malted salted caramel sauce.
Location: We visited 52 Petrie Terrace Brisbane City 4000
The Verdict
Fritzenberger serves up a good burger and good serving of chips. It is more a ‘pubbish’ atmosphere, somewhere you’d have a couple of ‘bevvies ‘there too.
Red Hook Burgers
Red Hook is tucked away in a little laneway in Brisbane’s CBD. Referring themselves to a NY inspired eatery & bar, I was excited to try them out.
The Burger
I tried out the Brooklyn Cheeseburger ($13). There was a huge lunchtime line up on the day I was there, but they seem to have everything under control and I was served quickly. The cheeseburger was fresh and included all of your usual suspects, beef, cheese, special sauce, ketchup and a pickle garnish. The burgers are on the smallish side (which is perfect for me), so if you have a larger appetite you can always grab an extra patty for $5 or opt for the Resolution Breaker $18 (see below).
Their current menu includes:
Shaolin Soul – Crumbed chicken, miso mayo, char sui sauce & lettuce on black brioche, Uptown Funk Burger – Beef or Chicken, cheese, gorgonzola sauce, caramelised onions, bacon, buffalo ketchup, Resolution Breaker – Double beef, double bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, ketchup, special sauce & pickle garnish, Philly Cheese Steak – Sliced Steak, capsicum, shallot, chive, cheese sauce, RZA – Veg Burger (V)- vEEF plant patty, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, cashew ranch dressing & onion jam
The Fries
I had the small fries $4.5 and they were hot and vinegary. Fortunately, I do like vinegar on my chips, but if you’re not a fan simply ask to hold the vinegar, as they come automatically. They also have 3 other types of fries: Waffle Fries w/ smoky mayo, Bacon & Cheese Fries, Chilli Cheese & Brisket Fries.
The Vibe
Red Hook has a bustling happy vibe and really draws in the lunchtime crowd. Also has great specials!
Other Info –
Special Diets: Vegetarian-friendly.
Licensed: Yes
Location: Red Hook is tucked away in Gresham Laneway Brisbane City, 4000.
The Verdict
Memphis Tennis Club by Burger Urge
The Memphis Tennis Club by Burger Urge is more of an upmarket burger joint while still dishing out its famous Burger Urge Burgers.
The Burger
I couldn’t go past the Boston Cheeseburger and wasn’t disappointed- succulent beef patty, pickles, tomato, lettuce, aioli and special sauce – a steal at $10.9.
Their current menu includes: Beef choices – New Yorker , No.45 , Big Boppa, El Diablo, The Double. Chicken choices – Southern Fried, Waikiki Classic
The Fries
– Crunchy Crinkle Cut, Sweet Potato Fries, Onion Rings, Dirty Fried, Pulled Beef Fries
The Vibe
Burger joint meets cocktail bar
The Verdict
I really enjoyed our lunch at Burger Urge. The staff were friendly, the restaurant was extremely clean and the burgers were pretty damn good. I’ve heard the cocktails aren’t bad either!
Seoul Bistro
Although well known for their famous fried chicken wings, I think their tasty fried chicken burger deserves a worthy mention. Located in a little leafy suburban Sunnybank street??, Seoul Bistro, is always buzzing happy hungry diners.
The Burgers
The Charcoal Burger is enormous! A triple battered thigh chicken (fried chicken cravings satisfied ✅ served with cheddar cheese, mayo and lettuce. They also have lunch time specials including the Japa Burger for only $9.90 (including fries) you can choose from Japanese mayo, blue cheese, peri peri, honey wasabi for spicy sauces.
The Fries
A generous serving size of hot, crispy, but fluffy on the inside fries.
The Chicken
The Buffet includes unlimited chicken wings (9 flavours, including Crispy Fried, Yang Nyum, Honey Soy, Honey Wasabi, Buffalo, Peri Peri, Hot ‘n’ Spicy, Smokey BBQ and Thai Sweet Chilli. I sampled the Yang Nyum & Honey Soy – both really tasty. Also included in the price of the buffet, are crispy fries, garlic bread and iced tea. A huge hit at only $21.90.
Other Info
Licensed: Yes
Location: 152 Turton Street Sunnybank QLD 4109
The Vibe
Seoul Bistro is a happening venue, with lots of buzz – plenty of outside or inside eating available.
The Verdict
An obvious hit with locals, with most coming for the main attraction – the $21.90, all-you-can-eat buffet deal, although there are plenty of a la carte menu items to choose from.
Riverbar and Kitchen
The Burger
We chose the beef burger and it was fantastic. Tender beef, aged cheddar, bacon, pickled red onion with good sized chips ($22) which I thought, considering the location overlooking the Brisbane river was pretty damn good value.
The Fries
Crispy crunchy moreish – what else can I say? Riverbar also serves a selection of pizzas, salads, pastas and steaks.
The Vibe
Riverbar is a happening venue, lots of locals and tourists alike out enjoying the night.
Other Info
Special Diets: (DF) Dairy Free | (GF) Gluten Free | (V) Vegetarian | (VG) Vegan
Licensed: Yes
Location: 71 Eagle Street Brisbane
Desserts: Yes! – Chocolate brownie, honeycomb, vanilla ice cream (GF) 14 Macadamia ice cream, berries, biscotti 14
The Verdict
This is one of my fav places to grab a burger and chill out. Happy buzzy vibe.
Charboys Burgers
update!!!!
Since writing this review – Charboys have since closed their CBD location and have relocated to 1/190 Oxford Street, Bulimba – will be updating this review shortly!
There’s something quite satisfying watching your burger being cooked in a food truck, knowing it is being made by the freshest ingredients. Charboys located in the red truck in Edward Street is popular with the lunchtime crowd. They pride themselves on quality, flavour and fresh ingredients. – (Write blurb once they get back to me with location details)
The Burger
Juicy Cheeseburger and a generous serving of fries
